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Debatable debate

IS leadership about oratory, rabble-rousing, long marches, or dharna in our context? Although political campaigns worldwide rely on debating ability, so do debating societies; these are forums for expanding discourse.…

The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves!

Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has consistently pledged implementation of all agreed reforms in the twenty fourth (7 billion dollars thirty-seven months long) ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme –…

Lack of awareness of IMF conditions

Pakistan’s private sector elite in industry and the farm sectors, major non-institutional recipients of budgeted expenditure and an influence behind the continued reliance on indirect taxes as a revenue source…

Beyond the numbers

In its last meeting, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to cut the policy rate by 250 basis points to 15 per cent. Per the MPC Statement, “Taking into account…

Pakistan’s housing crisis needs innovation

Pakistan's explosive population growth over the past five decades presents a pressing non-traditional national security concern. With ripple effects on water, food, and energy security, this demographic surge threatens social…

How to sell an SOE

I remember a microeconomics class where the professor asked us: “what has a negative price?” As we struggled to answer, the professor said: “garbage! We pay money to get rid…

SCO, IMF & reforms

Hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Islamabad by Pakistan on October 15-16, 2024 was a good omen after a long period of diplomatic isolation. The event provided a…

No surprise in the surprise visit

The only surprise in the IMF team’s surprise visit to Pakistan this week was that it took the trouble to jolt the government in person instead of simply warning, as…

The burden of inefficiency

I was amazed to discover the profound lack of understanding surrounding the footprint and performance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Pakistan upon joining the government. This glaring absence of data…

Running banks and airlines

THE provinces are already running banks: Bank of Punjab, Sindh Bank and Bank of Khyber. Balochistan is the only province that does not have a bank of its own, but…